Travel to Infinity and Beyond at Tech Museum's Space Day, May 10

Press Release Date

Wednesday, May 7, 2003

Over fifteen airplanes, representing a century of air travel, ranging from biplanes from the 1930s to the NASA X43 Scram Jet, will parade through downtown San Jose at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, to kick off The Tech Museum of Innovation's celebration of Space Day 2003.
The aircraft will be joined by aviators spanning the past 100 years, like "Wilbur Wright" and NASA astronaut Guy Bluford. Visitors will get a chance to see and experience first-hand how far aviation and space exploration have come since the Wright brothers' historic first flight in 1903.
Among the activities and speakers planned for Space Day 2003:
· Travel back in time, as aircraft from throughout the last 100 years cruise down Market Street in Downtown San Jose in parade fashion (complete with Stanford Marching Band and classic cars). Planes will be parked all day on Park Avenue following the 9 a.m. parade.
· A replica of the 1903 Wright Flyer in Plaza de Cesar Chavez. "Wilbur Wright" will be on-hand to share the Wright Brothers' story.
· Learn about aviation and space exploration history from people who made it. Leslie "Les" Williams, a member of the legendary World War II Tuskegee Airmen, and Guy Bluford, Jr., Ph.D, the first African-American to fly in space will speak at noon and 2 p.m., respectively.
Members of the Ninety-Nines, a national organization of professional women pilots, will discuss the history of women in aviation at 1 p.m.
· The IMAX Space and Flight Film Festival, May 8-11, will feature On the Wing, Destiny in Space, Mission to Mir, and IMAX: Space Station in the IMAX Dome Theater.
· Flight and space related hands-on activities throughout The Tech: displays from SETI and NASA, Association of Experimental Rocketry of the Pacific rockets and more.
Plane parade and outdoor activities are free to the public. Speakers and special exhibits are free with paid museum gallery admission.
Space Day 2003 at The Tech is sponsored by the NASA Ames Research Center and Lockheed Martin, with event partners: Hiller Aviation Museum and Wings of History Museum. Support provided by Mineta San Jose International Airport, San Jose Jet Center, Santa Clara County Airports, San Jose Police Department, San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs, ACM Aviation.
The Tech Museum of Innovation, a non-profit organization, engages people of all ages and backgrounds in exploring and experiencing the technologies affecting their lives and aims to inspire the innovator in everyone. For more information, visit www.thetech.org or call (408) 294-TECH.